George i



(No Model.)

G. I. WICKS.. 300K HOLDER.

No. 565,583. 5 Patrented Aug. 11,Y 18961.

I g2 LW @e WM I 4 Hw/g UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE I.` VIOKS, ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

BOOK-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 565,553, dated August 11, 1896.

Application filed June 17,1895. Serial No. 553,075. (No model.) i

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE I. WIcKs, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Book-Holders; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention has for its object to provide an improved device for holding large or heavy books, such as dictionaries, in which the surface of the leaves are held on a level in all positions of adjustment, and the book may be supported at any angle, as desired; and to these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements in construction and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter fully described, and the novel features pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a front elevation of the upper portion of a booksholder constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3, a longitudinal sectional view on the line x of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4 4, Fig. 5, showing a portion of the base in elevation; Fig. 5, a plan view of the holder with the cover-supporting plates and their brackets removed; Fig. 6, an enlarged side elevation of the head of the base-frame; Fig. 7, a sectional view on the line z z of Fig. 6.

Similar reference-numerals in the several iigures indicate Similar parts.

The book holder or support proper is mounted upon the upper end of the standard4 1, which, in the present embodiment of my invention, extends downward through a suitable plug or'sleeve 2, to which it is adjustably secured by means ofthe set-screw 3. This sleeve 2 is provided with a shoulder and is supported upon and within the base, having the supporting-legs 4. Two of these legs are concaved on their upper inner sides and are provided on opposite sides of said concaved portions with apertures 5 and projecting lugs 6, as shown particularly in Eig. 7, and two of said legs are provided on their abutting edges, in lieu of the coperatinglugs and projections, with projecting ears 7 which are perforated, and through them Vis passed a small securing-bolt 8. As will be seen from an inspection of said Figs. 6 and 7, the legs when brought together with the projections and recesses cooperating, as shown, will form a tubular socket into which the plug or sleeve fits, and when the bolt 8 is tightened up the parts will be securely clamped in position, and the standard 1 may be adjusted up and down in the plug 2 and secured by means of the set-screw 3, thus regulating the height of the book-support. It will also be seen that by loosening and removing the bolt 8 the legs may be separated and readily packed for transportation.

Mounted upon the upper end of the standard 1 is the supporting head or casting 10 of the book-support, havinga socket in its lower end for the accommodation of the standard 1, while its upper end is provided with a slot in which projects an ear 11, formed upon a bracket 12, a pivot -pin 13 being passed through said ear and the upper end of the casting 10. This bracket 12 is provided with upwardly-projecting ears or lugs 14, through which passes a pivot-pin 15, and upon this pin is journaled a cross-bar or lever 16, preferably made in the form of an open frame, as shown particularly in Fig. 5. l The ends of this lever 16 are slotted, as shown, and pivoted in said slotted portions upon pins 17 are the vertical links 18, having the slotted horizontal arms or extensions 19, the lower ends of the links 18 being pivoted at 20 to the opposite ends of a lever 21, pivoted at 22 upon the depending portion of the bracket 12, so that when the levers are turned ontheir pivots the arms 18 of the links will be maintained in parallel planes in all adjustments.

23 indicates a rest for the back of the book, connected to the upper side of the lever 16 by a screw 24 or other suitable connecting means. The lower portion of the bracket 12 has formed upon it an arm 25, provide-d with a segmental slot through which passes a securing set-screw 26, screwing into the supporting head or casting 10, and by loosening this screw the booksupport may be turned on the pivot 13 to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

27 27 indicate brackets supported upon the arms 19 of the links and adapted to be secured ICO in adjusted position by set-screws 28, passing through the slots in said arms, and upon the upper portions of said brackets are pivoted plates 29, secured to the book-cover supports or boards 35, said brackets 27 being provided With angular studs or cross-bars 30,With which cooperate springs 31, secured to the plates 29 on the under sides of the boards 35, and the springs are so disposed relative the angular portions of the studs 30 that they Will be maintained in either horizontal or vertical position, as shown in full and dotted lines in Fig. 3. In order to limit the movements of the boards 35, I provide upon the plates 29 lugs or stops 3G, adapted to enga-ge corresponding lugs 37, formed upon the brackets 27.

From the above construction it Will be seen that the book (indicated by A in Fig. 1) may be supported in open or iiat position, its covers resting on the boards 20, and by reason of the connected parallel links the leaves Will be kept substantially horizon tal, even though the greater portion of the leaves be turned to one side, as in this event the parallel links will cause the supports to be raised or lowered the proper distance, as shown in dotted lines in If desired to incline the book, this may be accomplished by loosening` the screw 26 and adjusting the book to the proper position, as shown in Fig. 2, then tightening the screw again. When the book is closed, the supports 29 are raised to the position in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and are maintained in this position by the springs 31 operating on the angular pins 30, and the book will then rest upon the backsupport, as will be understood.

For the purpose of preventing the book from sliding off the cover-supports 29 when the latter are tilted they are provided with cleats 32.

This construction of book-holder is very simple and cheap, the various parts being formed of castings, and the necessary adj ustments and the various movements can be performed by an unskilled person; also as one of the levers is above and the other below the pivot 13 the frame is Well balanced and is easily turned on said pivot.

It Will be seen that the holder may be'adapted for books of various Widths by simply adjusting the brackets 27 upon the arms 1S.

I claim as my invention- 1. -The combination With the standard having the head thereon, of the bracket 12 pivoted to the head, having the ears 14:, the lever 16, the pivot-pin 15, the back-rest 23 secured to the lever 16, the lever 21, the links 18 having the arms 19, the brackets 27 adjustable on the arms and having the angular crossbars 30, the cover-supports 29 pivoted on the brackets and having the springs 31 operating on the under sides of the crossbars 30, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the standard, the head thereon, the bracket 12 having the depending portion and the slotted arm 25, and the set-screw 2G, of the lever 16 pivoted on the bracket, the lever 21, the links 1S having the slotted arms 19, the brackets 27 adjustable thereon, having the angular cross-arms, the cover-supports pivoted on the brackets and having the springs engaging the angular arms, substantially as described.

3. In a support or stand, the combination of the central standard supported thereon, the legs having the concaved portions at their upper ends engaging the sleeve and the laterally-engaging cooperating locking projections and recesses, at their proximate sides, and a bolt connecting two of the proximate legs thereby locking the legs together and to the central standard, substantially as described.

1. In a support or stand, the combination of the legs having the concaved portions in their upper ends and the laterally-engaging recesses and projections 5 and 6, tWo of said legs having lugs on their proximate sides, and a bolt securing them together, and a central plug or abutment with which the concave sides of the legs engage, and to which they are secured, substantially as described.

GEO. I. VVIGKS.

Vitnesses:

W. M. FURLONG, NnLsoN E. SPENCER. 

